Coin-controlled setting mechanism for energy dispensing devices



June 3, 1941. J. METTLER COIN-CONTROLLED SETTING MECHANISM FOR ENERGY DISPENSING Filed Oct. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DEVICES June 3, 1941. J. METTLER COIN-CONTROLLED SETTING MECHANISM FOR ENERGY DISPENSING DEVICES Filed Oct. 15, 1937 2 SheetsSheot 2 A TTO/FIVEYS:

Patented June 3, 1941 UNITE rice Josef Mettler, Allenwinden, Zug,

Switzerland, as-

signor to Landis & Gyr,.A-G., a body corporate of Switzerland Application October 15 In Switzerland 9 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in coin-controlled setting mechanisms for energy dispensing means, and more especially to such improvements in the type of mechanism wherein the amount of energy made available is dependent on the size or value of an inserted coin.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefro-m, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting apart hereof, illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with certain parts broken away and other parts shown in section, of the mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig.2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, with certain of the parts broken away to show the underlying parts; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The present invention in certain of its aspects is an improvement on the coin-receiving and quantity-setting mechanism of copending application Ser. No. 161,742, filed August 31, 1937, of Richard Pudelko and Josef Mettler, now Patent 2,215,191, although in other of its aspects the present invention is applicable to other forms of coin-controlled nism.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a compact and reliable mechanism, which without enlargement over certain desirable or necessary size limitations will receive and coast with a larger number of different sizesof coins, preferably the entire coinage of a particular country, that is, in practice, say a range of five setting mechaor more coins; to provide a mechanism having the aforesaid features and capacities and employing a single gear wheel to receive the quantity settings corresponding to the coins deposited. I

To these ends I provide an improved coinand useful with 1937, Serial No. 169,151

February 19, 1937 tion with reference to the pinion.

controlled setting mechanism whereby the quantity mechanism, that is, the energy measuring and dispensing means,is set proportionately to the value of the inserted coin, and wherein, as embodied, a pinion (corresponding to pinion i in said copending application) connected to the setting mechanism (not shown) is given the required proportional rotation. This rotation is effected by "a plurality of circularly and sequentially arranged segments, having different numbers' of teeth'on their edges. The segments are supported upon the periphery of a rotatable drum and rotate with the drum, but are selectively slidable laterally along the drum to pass into and out of alinement with the aforesaid pinion, so that the various segments may pass the pinion idly or may rotate it, dependent upon the amount of rotation to be given the pinion to correspond to the'value of a particular inserted coin. To effect this selective lateral movement of the toothed segments along the drum between the operative and inoperative positions, the various segments are mounted on spring-pressed rods and are held in the inoperative position during the greater part'of the rotation of the drum by a cam trackalong which move fingers connected to the respective spring-pressed rods. When approaching the locus of the pinion, this cam track releases the spring-pressed rods and they engage the fiat face of a coin-positioned disc having apertures therein. Normally the ends of the spring-pressed rods abut the face of the disc, but are still held in inoperative posi- However, if an inserted coin has moved the disc so as to bring certain apertures therein in register with certain of the spring-pressed rods, the rods enter the apertures and the corresponding toothed segments are brought into alinement with the pinion and rotate it correspondingly. A slide in the coin chute, which is moved proportionately to the diameter of the inserted coin, moves the aforesaid apertured disc to aline the corresponding toothed segments with the pinion which sets the quantity mechanism. It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detail description as well are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the improvement of the present invention is shown applied to the mechanism illustratedin Fig. 1 of said copending-application Ser. No. 161,742of Pudelko and Mettler, so much only of the structure of that application being included here as will sufiice to show the connection of the present invention therewith. (The parts of the mechanism common to this and to the aforesaid copending application are indicated herein by the same reference numerals as are used in said copending application.) The mechanism is enclosed within a casing 10, of the usual type, having a coinadmitting aperture ll. Within the casing is a flat, rotatable, coin-receiving disc l4, having a circular periphery l3, the disc being fixed on a shaft l5 journaled in the flat heads 15 and I5 of the casing II]. Fixed on the shaft I5 is a bevel gear 56 which meshes with a bevel gear 52 mounted on a shaft 48 which is provided with a hand knob a, this gearing and shaft being a part of the manually-operated coin release mechanism shown in Fig. 1 of said copending application.

Formed in one fiat face of the disc I4 is a coin-receiving slot or channel l6, which extends transversely or diametrically of the disc, and is normally in alinement with the coin-receiving slot H of the casing. Slidably mounted in the channel 16 is a slide l1, having an elongated internal opening l8 through which the shaft l5 passes, and whereby the slide l1 may be moved along the channel IS. The slide 11 is normally held to the front end of the slot or channel 16 by a spring i1, but is resiliently slidable backwardly in the channel when a coin is pushed into the channel 15 through the opening H in the casing, the retractive movement of the slide I! against its spring corresponding to the diameter,

and thus to the value, of the inserted coin. A closure plate 1'9 fits on and is fastened to the flat face of the disc 14 over the coin channel l6 and the slide 11. The setting of the quantity mechanism, that is, the energy measuring and dispensing means comprises a pinion l fixed on a shaft 2, which shaft is connected to and sets the aforesaid mechanism. The reference numerals employed up to this point are the same as those applied to the same or similar mechanisms in the aforesaid copending application Ser. No. 161,742. According to the present invention, the means for rotating the pinionl proportionately to the diameter, and thus to the value of an inserted coin comprises, as here embodied, four concentrio, sequentially arranged segments 30, 3|, 32 and 33, having on their outer peripheries various numbers of teeth in a predetermined relation to the coin values, and adapted to correspondingly rotate the pinion I when one or more of the segments are moved laterally into register with the pinion. The inner peripheries of these segments rest on the exterior cylindrical circumference of a drum 31 concentric with the shaft l5, and r0- tating with the shaft 15 and the disc [4. At its inner end the drum 31 is fixed to the exterior of a flat, circular. apertured plate 38, which plate is fixed to the flat, circularly recessed face of the disc 14, a part of the mechanisim being located within said recess 14a. as will be hereinafter explained. A fiat. parti-circular plate 39 is fixed to the other end of the drum 31. The toothed segments 30, 3!, 32 and 33 are mounted to rotate with the drum 31 (and thus with disc I4 and shaft 15), and the segments are also slidable laterally along the drum and thus are able to pass selectively into and out of alinement with the pinion 1, dependent upon the value settings effected by inserted coins.

As embodied, fixed to the segments 30, 3|, 32

and 33, respectively, are hubs 4|, which hubs also are fixed on rods 42, 43, 44 and 45. These rods are slidably mounted in the aforesaid plates 38 and 39 (which with the drum 31 rotate with the disc [4) and thus the toothed segments rotate with the disc I4, but by their sliding action the rods can move their corresponding toothed segments 30, 3|, 32 and 33 laterally along the periphery of drum 31 into and out of alinement with the pinion I, this selective movement of the rods being controlled from the inserted coins by mechanism hereinafter described. The segments 30 to 33 are impelled toward alinement with pinion l by coil springs 51 which encircle their rods, respectively, and are in compression between the segments and the plate 39.

The embodied form of means for selectively permitting one or more of the toothed segments 30, 3|, 32 and 33 to move laterally into alinement with the pinion I under the impulsion of their respective springs 51 (and correspondingly to the value of an inserted coin) comprises a disc 61 having a hub 65 loosely mounted on the shaft 15, and located within the recess 14a in the flat face of disc l4 and beneath plate 38. This plate Bl has a segmentally-shaped cut-out portion against one radial edge 62 of which abuts a pin 63, fixed to the slide 11, and projecting through a longitudinal slot 64 in the disc M, which permits it to move with slide 11 and correspondingly partially rotate disc 6|. About the hub 65 of disc BI is a coil spring 65, which resiliently holds the edge 62 of the disc against the pin 63, and permits the disc 61 to rotate as the slide 11 is moved inwardly by an inserted coin and to follow the pin 63 in its opposite movement. Thus the disc 6| has angular movement proportional to the movement of slide l1 by an inserted coin. In the disc 6| are a plurality of internal apertures 10, 1| and peripheral apertures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 11, which are selectively brought into registry, by deposited coins of different diameters, with the ends of one or more of the rods 42-45. Apertures 10 and 1| have operative engagement only with the rod 43 as these three parts are all positioned at the same distance from the axis. The rods enter said apertures under the impulsion of the respective springs 51 and move until the points of the rods strike the face of disc 14, and so the corresponding segments 30, 3!, 32 or 33 are moved laterally along the drum 31 and brought into alinement with the pinion I, thereby to impart different amounts of rotation to the pinion I. There are further control means for the rods 42-45 as later described.

The spring-pressed rods 42-45 are held in retracted and inactive position away from disc BI and with their toothed segments 30-33 out of alinement with the pinion l, and are released to coact with the apertures in disc 6 l, as the respective rotating segments approach the pinion l. The means for holding these mechanisms in retracted position, also provides for releasing the rods 42, 43, 44 and 45 as they approach the pinion I so that they may coact with any of the openings 10 to 11 in disc 6| which may be brought into registry with them by a particular inserted coin, and for thereafter retracting them after they have passed the pinion, preparatory to a new cycle of the mechanism. As embodied, on the respective hubs4| of the segments 30, 31, 32 and 33, respectively, are mounted fingers 80, 8|, 82 and 83, which project radially outwardly from their respective hubs. Fixed to the inner face of the end plate [5b is an arcuate inwardlyprojecting support 81, having its inner edge bent inwardly to form a cam track 88, along the inner surface of which the various fingers 80 to 83 slide to govern the lateral sliding movements and positions of the toothed segments 30 to 33. The entrance end of the cam track 88, considered in the rotational sense of the disc I4 as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, has a portion 9| helically or slantingly disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, and any of the fingers 80 to 83 as they enter this part 9! of the cam track with their corresponding toothed segments 3033 are moved to the left in Fig. 1 against their springs 51, thereby sliding the segments back to inoperative position out of alinement with the pinion I. The succeeding straight portion of the cam track 88, considered in the direction of rotation, holds all of the rods 42 to 45, and their corresponding segments 36 to 33 retracted. The exit end of the cam track is indicated by reference numeral 92, and as the pins ride 01f the end of the cam track they engage the fiat face of disc 6|, but the toothed segments 3il33 are still held to the left in Fig. 1, out :of alinement with pinion I, unless one or more rods find one or more of the openings in the disc 6| in register therewith. If one or more of the openings in the disc are in register with one or more of the rods, the corresponding segments are moved to the right in Fig. 1 by their springs 51, into alinement with the pinion I and the pinion is rotated accordingly. Fig. 3 shows at b the manner in which one of the segments 30, 3!, 32 engages the pinion I, so that the pinion is rotated as knob a is used to turn shaft 48. The operation of the mechanism is substantially as follows, assuming the use of the British coins: If a penny piece be inserted into the coin inlet II, the slide I6 is moved backwardly and pin 63 rotates disc 6| so that aperture I2 will be in register with rod 42, when its finger 88 leaves the exit end 92 of the cam track 88, and its spring 51 causes the rod to pass through the aperture I2 and come to rest against the fiat face of the disc I4 and thereby segment 30 moves to the right into alinement with the pinion I (the position shown in Fig. 1). The remaining rods 43, 44 and 45, when their fingers 8|, B2 and 83 run ofif the end of the cam track 88, engage the fiat side of disc SI, and as they find no apertures in register, their segments 3I33 are held in inoperative position with respect to the pinion I. The drum I4 has been released for rotation by the customer through deposit of the coin and is given one complete rotation, as described in said copending application Ser. No. 161,742. During this rotation the segment 30 will rotate the pinion I through one tooth and eifect a corresponding setting of the quantity mechanism. As the drum I4 continues to rotate, the finger 80 will pass to the inside face of the flared entrance portion SI of the cam track, and segment 30 will be slid along the drum 31 to the inoperative position (to the left in Fig. 1). All of the fingers 84 to 83 will pass within the cam track and all the segments will be held in inoperative position until the next coin is inserted.

If a six-penny piece is inserted in the coin inlet II, the slide I! partially rotates the disc SI so that aperture I is in register with rod 43, when its finger 8| leaves the exit end of the cam track, and segment Si is spring-impelled laterally along the supporting cylinder 31 into alinement with the pinion I and rotates the pinion through six teeth. The operation otherwise is as described above, the remaining segments being held in inoperative position because their rods 42, 44 and 45 did not find apertures in disc 6|, but rested upon the side of the disc I4, holding the segments in inoperative position. If a shilling piece be inserted into the coin inlet II, the slide I6 will set the disc BI so that aperture 75 will register with rod 45, and segment 33 will move along drum 3! into alinement with the pinion and will turn the pinion through twelve teeth.

For either of the two highest value coins, the apertures in disc 6! permit the alinement of a plurality of the toothed segments to effect a greater rotation of the pinion I equal to the number of teeth on all alined segments. A two-shilling piece will turn disc 6| so that apertures 73 and It will register with rods 44 and 45,v and when their holding fingers 82 and 83 leave the cam track, segments 32 and 33 are brought into alinement with the pinion i and rotate it through twenty-four teeth. If a half-crown piece be inserted, apertures II, I4 and 11 are brought into register with the rods 43, 44 and 45 in the manner previously described, and the toothed segments 3|, 32 and 33 move into alinement with the pinion I and rotate it through thirty teeth. As a mechanical convenience to speed up movement of these segments, the inner part of the cam track 88 has been cut away from a point 88 to the exit point 92, and their fingers 82 and 83 are correspondingly shortened so that the cam track will release them at point 88*, and as segments 32 and 33 each have twelve teeth, they may have more time mechanically to move into alinement with the pinion.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settab-le to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination a pinion connected to the quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and movable laterally into and out of alinement with the pinion, means for rotating the segments, coin receiving means, means for selectively effecting lateral movement of the toothed segments into and out of alinement with said pinion, and means rendered operative by an inserted coin to cause one or more of the segments to be held in alinement with the pinion for a variable amount of rotation to rotate it proportionately to the value of the deposited coin.

2. A coin-controlled setting mechanism. for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination, a" pinion connected to the quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and movable normally in a plane out of alinement with the pinion, means for rotating the segments, coin receiving means, mechanism connected to said coin receiving means adapted to be variably positioned by inserted coins depending on the size thereof, and. further means connecting said mechanism with said segments to selectively move a toothed segment in alinement with said pinion and hold the same in such alinement whereby, when said segment is rotated, the pinion will be rotated in proportion to the size of the coin inserted in said coin receiving means.

3. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination an enclosing casing having a coin-receiving opening, a rotatable disc in said casing, a coin channel in said disc disposed transversely to its aXis adapted to be brought in alinement with said coin opening in the casing to receive a coin, a slide in said channel movable by the inserted coin proportionately to the diameter of the coin, a gear connected to the quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and movable laterally into and out of alinement with the gear, said segments normally being out of alinement with said gear, means operated by said slide in accordance with the diameter of the inserted coin to selectively move one or more of said segments into alinement with said gear and maintain the same in alinement therewith, means for rotating said segments, said selected segments being maintained in alinement with said pinion during rotation of the segments, the segments having differing numbers of teeth, whereby the gear will be rotated in proportion to the teeth on the segments engaged thereby, which proportion will be governed by the size of the dcposited coin.

4. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination an enclosing casing having a coin-receiving opening, a rotatable disc in said casing, a coin channel in said disc disposed transversely to its axis adapted to be brought in alinement with said coin opening in the casing to receive a coin, a slide in said. channel movable by the inserted coin proportionately to the diameter of the coin, a gear connected to the quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and movable laterally into and out of alinement with the gear, a, plate having apertures movable by said slide in accordance with the size of the coin inserted in the coin channel, means biasing said segments toward said plate, a finger connected to each of said segments, said fingers being adapted to enter such apertures of said plate as are in registry therewith, and additional means coacting with said segments, when rotated to move the segments against their biasing means and subsequently to release said segments to the action of the biasing means, whereby such fingers as are in registry with apertures in the plate will permit the segments connected therewith to be moved laterally into alinement with said gear and rotate the same in proportion to the diameter of the inserted coin.

5. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination an enclosing casing having a coin-receiving opening, a rotatable disc in said casing, a coin channel in said disc disposed transversely to its axis adapted to be brought in alinement with said coin opening in the casing to receive a coin, a slide in said channel movable by an inserted coin proportionately to the diameter of the coin, a gear connected to the quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and movable laterally into and out of alinement with the gear, a plate having apertures movable by said slide in accordance with the size of the coin insertedin said coin channel, means biasing said segments toward said plate, a finger connected to each of said segments, said fingers being adapted to enter such apertures of said plate as are in registry therewith, and means including a cam track coacting with said segments when rotated to move the segments against their biasing means and subsequently to release said segments to the action of the biasing means, whereby such fingers as are in registry with apertures in the plate will permit'the segments connected therewith to be moved laterally into alinement with I said gear and rotate the same in proportion to the diameter of the inserted coin.

6. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination an enclosing casing having a coin-receiving opening, a rotatable disc mounted in said casing, a coin channel in said disc disposed transversely to its axis and normally in alinement with said coin opening in said casing to receive a coin, a slide in said channel movable by an inserted coin proportionately to the diameter of the coin, a gear connected to the quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of toothed members selectively movable into and out of alinement with said gear and means governed by the displacement of the slide for selecting a toothed member to be moved into alinement with said gear.

7. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination a pinion connected to a quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and selectively movable laterally into and out of alinement with the pinion, spring-pressed means acting on said segments biasing them into alinement with the gear, a plurality of rods connected to said segments bearing against a plate to maintain said segments out of alinement with said gear, the plate having apertures adapted to receive said rods, and means responsive to the diameter of a coin inserted into the mechanism for variably positioning the plate whereby certain apertures are brought into register with certain rods.

8. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination a pinion connected to a quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segment mounted in arcuate sequence and selectively movable laterally into and out of alinement with the pinion, spring-pressed means acting on said segments biasing them into alinement with the gear, a plurality of rods connected to said segments bearing against a plate to maintain said segments out of alinement with said gear, a rotatable plate having apertures adapted to receive said rods, means responsive to the diameter of a coin inserted into the mechanism for variably angularly positioning said plate whereby certain apertures are brought into register with certain rods, and a rod may enter an aperture brought into register with it to permit its toothed segment to move into alinement with the pinion.

9. A coin-controlled setting mechanism for an energy dispensing device settable to dispense measured quantities of energy including in combination a pinion connected to a quantity measuring and dispensing means, a plurality of rotatable toothed segments mounted in arcuate sequence and selectively movable laterally into and out of alinement with the pinion, spring-pressed means acting on said segments biasing them into alinement with the gear, a plurality of rods connected to said segments bearing against a plate 10 

